The First Minister has accused the UK Border Agency of “sabotage” after two Chinese teachers were refused visas to return to Scotland under a partnership programme.
Alex Salmond called for the “offensive” decision to be reversed as he revealed a further three teachers also face having their visas turned down.
He branded the situation “extraordinary” as he accused the agency of applying rules drawn up for quite different purposes.
The teachers from Tian Jin were due to come to Scotland for a second year under a teaching programme run by the Confucius Institute backed by Strathclyde University and the Scottish Government.
The programme aims to strengthen educational cooperation between China and Scotland and promote the development of Chinese language education.
The First Minister, who is visiting China, is understood to have written to Home Secretary Theresa May to express dismay that the teachers in question were denied visas to return to Scotland.
He said: “It is an absolutely extraordinary situation you couldn’t make it up. It is deeply offensive to the Chinese and it is a decision that has to be reversed as soon as possible.”
Two teachers had their visas turned down and it is likely another three will be refused, he said.
“It amounts to sabotage of a programme that everyone thinks is absolutely fantastic and doing great work in Scotland,” he added.
“Basically what the Border Agency are applying is a rule which was drawn up last year for something entirely different. It wasn’t designed for this at all,” he said.
“It’s pretty obvious that somebody doing their second year is going to have certain skills which you wouldn’t get in your first year and the Confucius Institutes are well agreed that actually a second-year teacher is even more invaluable than a first-year teacher.”
The Home Office has been contacted for a response.
During his trade mission to China, Mr Salmond has held a meeting with state councillor Yang Jiechi who holds China’s most senior foreign affairs role.
At the meeting in Beijing, the First Minister presented Mr Yang with a Mandarin version of the Scottish Government’s China strategy, outlining “the four guiding principles of Scotland’s engagement with the country”.
The pair also discussed how Scotland and China could forge a deeper friendship, ministers said.